- CHAPTER 18: Songs of Shadows-
Last chapter in Legend of the Triforce:
Link froze.
"Link! Hey, Link! What's up!"
Link murmured in a soft scared voice, "You don't... feel them coming."
"Feel who coming, Link?"
A piercing cry ripped thru the quite desert air. There was no mistaking the sound.
"We're surrounded." Link whined softly before falling to the grounds unconscious.
-----
"LINK!" Withrow bellowed, "WAIT!"
Link continued to march forward carelessly. Withrow headed after him, and upon catching him queried, "What do you think your doing?!" Withrow grabbed Link's shoulder and spun him around to find the child's face completely void of expression.
"It doesn't matter anymore," Link droned, "they've won."
"What are you saying Link! Don't just give in like that!"
"DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT I JUST SAID! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE! WE'RE TRAPPED! IT'S OVER!"
Withrow gritted his teeth, "Link as the bearer of Courage you can and must overcome this!"
"What do you know?! Shadows of the Mindrippers dance in the back of my head so completely, taunting me, laughing! There's so many of them, they fill my mind entirely! And can do nothing but dwell on their hideous figures and their migraine inducing songs rain in my head! I can't... AAAAAHHHH!"
Link dropped to the sand awkwardly trying to clutch his head and stomach at the same time as countless howls of the unseen Gerudo rang thru the night sky.
"No! Just take me now! It's too much! I have no fight left!" Link wailed.
"Link! Quite speaking like that! You can over come this I know you can!" Withrow consoled as he bent down to Link's side.
"No," Link whispered, "I can't."
Link picked his face up and turned toward Withrow who immediately jumped back in terror. Link's face was replaced with the forsaken features of a Shadow Spider.
"I'm sorry Withrow, I just couldn't fight them any longer. It was too much."
Link picked himself up and as he did his body began sprouting uneven patches of thick black hair and four additional appendages slowly emerged from his side.
"I'm so sorry Withrow, but now, now it's your turn."
Link flashed Withrow a toothy grin and began to advance toward his friend
"No!" Withrow retorted, "He is far too young, not yet capable of the task."
A wisp of wind blew thru the air. It matters not his age; fate chose now for his destiny to unfold, and so it is now that he must fulfill it.
Link, completely gone and unaware of the conversation happening before him, drooled lustfully at the fresh meat before him.
"What about the seven year sleep? It's worked before."
I don't believe we have seven years. Once the third age dawns it will be too late.
"This is not good. I don't like it one bit."
He is Hyrule's only hope.
Withrow turned back to Link who was now nearly on top of him. Realizing that Link had no intention of stopping Withrow whipped out the sapphire lens he had hidden under his shirt, and looked directly into it. "Take me back!" he demanded.
It was good to see you again too, the voice chuckled, but Withrow was gone.
-----
Link flickered back into consciousness, a roaring wind filling his ears.
He sat up with a start, "No! What happened! We're too late! The cursed winds have picked back up!"
The first thing Link saw was Withrow's face. He was smiling sympathetically with an unmistakable air of confusion behind it. He rolled his eyes to either side of him motioning for Link to look around.
They stood in the center of a great sand-thick cyclone. Winds spiraled about them at approximately a 20 yard diameter, and the sound was deafening.
"What happened?" Link inquired but realized the whirlwind consumed all other sound.
Withrow just smiled and pointed to a hole in the ground. He looked at the hole, back at Link and then jumped in. Knowing the Gerudo lived in catacombs under the desert Link was reluctant to follow, but seeing no other alternative he grabbed his staff and backpack and jumped in after.
It was dark below so Link pounded the butt of his staff on the ground lighting the white crystal atop his staff.
He could now see Withrow peering intently at an unfolded map. He appeared to have said something, but the wind above was still too loud. He nodded his head down the tunnel and made his way along that direction with Link trailing closely behind.
A ways down the tunnel Withrow led Link to an underground stream. A cool breeze swooshed by and was a pleasant change from the normal stagnant air of the tunnels. Withrow paused studying the map and then turned to Link.
"Ok, this should be it I think. We should be safe to talk here. So you all right?"
"Yeah, I guess... what... what just happened?"
Withrow looked at Link disappointedly, "I was hoping you knew."
"Me?! I just woke up and I was in the middle of a tornado! How am I supposed to know anything?!"
"Ok, listen, I don't know a whole lot but this is what happened: after we heard the Mindrippers' cry you fainted. I tried to wake you but you were completely out of it, and that's when a man dressed in a dark green cloak came up behind me. He was small and, I think, probably your age... I don't even know if it was a 'he', 'he' didn't talk much and when 'he' did he masked his voice. Without saying a word he grabbed the Lens of Wisdom from your hand and held your chin up so that he could look directly into your face then he placed the lens in between his face and yours. It only lasted a moment but I think he went inside your mind and more took place there."
When Withrow said this a visage flashed into Link's mind. Hundred's of shattered images of a man standing before him as if he were watching from a broken mirror. An eerie uneasiness descended upon Link along with the mental picture. Things didn't feel right... he was hungry... for human flesh. As he crept towards Withrow the unpleasant desire intensified and Link slowly came to the realization that the fragmented image before him was that of Withrow.
Link gasped and stutter-stepped backwards.
"What?" Withrow asked.
"N... nothing... I think."
"Do you remember what happened now?"
"No, just tell me what happened next."
"Ok, well, when he let the lens down I could tell he was slightly frustrated. He handed me this egg-timer and told me to let you sleep until it went off, but after that, we really needed to get moving. It was important we were out of the Wasteland before sunset... but we already knew that. So then, he handed me this map and told me to come here first, he explained that the Gerudo generally tend to avoid water and unless, they knew we were here we should be safe. He told me to follow the stream down..." Withrow paused to study the map and then pointed, "that way, and we should come to another exit from the tunnels pretty close to Gerudo Fortress. Then he said that Flo'ondia would protect us while you slept, and next thing I knew he was gone and there was a twirling whirlwind around us... so your sure you don't remember anything? Because for a moment there I thought you did."
"Who...who was this mysterious guy again? Could you describe him for me?"
"Sure, he was pretty short and was completely cover in a dark-green hooded cloak so I didn't get a good look at his face or anything."
"Mhmm... and by short you mean?... your height?"
"What?" Withrow laughed, "I may not be the tallest person you've ever met, but I'm not that short. No, by short I guess I'd say... probably pretty close to your height."
"Oh..." Link sighed.
Thinking that he insulted the boy Withrow quickly added, "Not that your short for your age... that's why I said I think he might have been pretty young."
"Withrow?"
"...nothing..."
-----
Link and Withrow walked side by side thru the underground creek in silence the tunnel they walked thru was completely flooded leaving no dry land to tread so they were forced slosh thru the knee-high waters. Images from earlier flashed thru Link's mind triggering powerful yet seemingly incompatible emotions.
He stares off into the blank desert, shadows billowing at the edge. Overwhelming despair. Then an ear shattering noise rips thru his head. It is the single most intense pain he has ever. The ground rushes towards him and then... relief, complete and perfect relief. And as if his eyes were made of glass lenses a crack snaps back and forth making it's way from the bottom of Link's visage to the top. About midway up the crack branches, and those branches split, and with a loud !SNAP! the image explodes into hundreds if not thousands of tiny shards. But all is well, his pain finally lifted and replaced with blissful emptiness, he is finally at peace.
But then another comes beside him demanding him to fit the emptiness. This serenity, his only liberation. No! This must not happen! He must be destroyed!
Withrow noticed Link steadily pull away from him appearing awkward and nervous. placing his hand on Link's shoulder Withrow inquired, "Is everything alright?"
Link ripped his shoulder from the man's grasp and stared at him wide-eyed breathing heavily. "What are you doing?!" Link screamed frantically, "This is a trap isn't it?! Where are you taking me?!"
Shocked, Withrow threw his hands up in front of his chest as a gesture of harmlessness and said as calmly as he could, "Link, I don't know what your talking about, but I can assure you I'm only trying to get us out of here safely."
Link panted thickly for a couple moments longer and began to calm down as reality began to set back in.
"yeah..." he gasped, "yeah, of course."
Only the sound of splashing water could be heard as they continued down the flooded path.
-----
"There! You see it Link? A light!" Withrow exclaimed excited to get out of the dreary dank tunnel. "Let's go! I think that's the exit!"
Link was forced to pick up the pace as Withrow dashed over to the single ray of moonlight that descended into the passage from a crack in the ceiling.
Withrow pulled himself up into the open desert. He spread out his arms, puffed out his chest, and kicked back his head towards the clear night sky. Then he twisted his torso to either side cracking his back. "Oooh, that feels good..."
Then dropping to his knees he let his arm down into the crack and offered, "Here, let me help you up."
Link looked up to him and was about to grab his wrist when the cry of a Shadow Spider echoed thru the sandy fields above. No! Alarms blared loudly inside Link's head. It was a trap! All of it! Link pulled back his hand and screamed, "You'd like that wouldn't you!" before taking off in a mad dash further down catacombs stream. But knee high water is not meant for running and Link, uncoordinated in his frenzy, tripped over his own legs in a matter of moments.
Submerged entirely underwater a shadow crept into Link's head and he knew a Mindripper had just entered into the flooded corridor further back into the shadows. At first it was just a vague shadow in the distance. But in a violent rush the image in link's mind zoomed up to the misbegotten creature's horrendous face. A disproportionably large eye in the center of the beast's head flash open, its crimson iris consuming the recesses of Link's brain. The foul spider shrieked wickedly and took off in a raging scurry towards Link.
It was at that moment, drowning in the chilled cavern creek, harbinger of death racing towards him, that something clicked. Everything made sense. He was just a boy, doomed from the get-go. He never had any hope of accomplishing his mission and it was foolish of him to ever believe otherwise. Each narrow escape from death was just postponing the inevitable. He was never meant to see success. The blissful temptation to stay under water and drown out all the pain was too promising. Link opened his mouth and let the crisp water fill his lungs.
Time seemed to sift at irregular intervals as Link drifted in and out of consciousness, flirting at death's door. He felt the Mindripper upon him and thru the water caught the blurry visage of the spider's legs plopping in and out of the pool as it loomed in closer. So be it, if the waters didn't kill him first the Gerudo would. Anything to end it all as soon as possible.
Link's heart sang as he sensed the Shadow Spider's misshapen mouth descend upon his neck. At last, it was over. Link tingled in anticipation as he physically felt cold rough teeth of a gritted mouth rub lustfully against his neck. The Gerudo opened wide its mouth and...
No!
The Mindripper screamed as it was sent reeling backwards, an arrow zinging in its center eye. The spider caught itself from falling and readied itself for a charge, but before it could build any momentum another arrow was lodged in the area between its eyes and mouth. Again the creature reeled back, and again it jumped forward. Anticipating the third arrow the Gerudo bowed its head. The arrow stuck in the back of the beast's head but it lost no speed as it charged forth. Once in range it leapt at its opponent who in turn dropped his bow, unsheathed his sword and ducked, stabbing the spider on it's underside as it sailed over head.
Withrow, Link discerned agitatedly. Just let me go, Withrow; let me go here and now.
Withrow was back in his defensive stance with his sword not having time to find and recover his sunken bow even as the Gerudo flailed about trying to get back to its feet. Once standing as upright as possible on its uneven legs the Mindripper resorted to a different tactic. It gritted its teeth and bowed its head and the next thing Withrow knew he was falling to his knees with a searing headache.
The Shadow Spider, quick to take advantage of the opportunity leapt at Withrow jaw open ready to bite down on its foe's head.
Apparently it expected Withrow to be fully incapacitated, and suffered a fatal awakening as Withrow, screaming with all his strength, thrust the blade up into the beast's mouth and out the back side of its head. The spider splashed lifelessly into the water. Withrow pulled his sword form the creature's mouth, arm shredded from its jagged teeth and rushed over to Link pulling his limp body out of the water.
Natural internal reflexes sent Link into a violent spasm of raspy coughs as he spit out the water that that filled his lungs. If Link was conscience he didn't have the strength to show it.
"Come on," Withrow said, not entirely sure Link could hear him, "I know you don't want to go up there, but I don't think it's any safer down here anymore."
Withrow kicked around where he dropped his bow praying the current wasn't strong enough to have carried it very far. Finding it he propped Link up with one arm and carefully bent down to pick it up.
Lifting Link up and out of the catacombs and following up after Withrow encouraged, "You can see the gates to Gerudo Fortress not too far off, I think we'll be able to make it. Besides, I think Flo'ondia will be able to better protect us in the open desert."
-----
"Flo'ondia?"
Link stood alone in the center of empty shadowed room. For how long he waited in his pool of tears, he couldn't remember. The soft breeze washed over him again.
"Flo'ondia, is that you?" Link choked, barely able to catch his breath.
The silent draft tenderly rustled Link's hair.
"Flo'ondia, I'm so sorry. I'm a failure. I completely gave up on everything, ready to end it all. Surely I am the worst example ever of a Bearer of Courage. So easily I fall to fear! So many times have I relied on the strength of others when my own failed.
"Sage pulled me from the bottom of the stairs when I became paralyzed at the screams of the Gerudo. Behind you I hid from the threat of Ganondorf, and just now, at the brink of death, with no resistance from me, Withrow bravely fought off the demise I welcomed.
"COURAGE! ME?! HA! THAT IS LAUGHABLE!" His words burned with self-loathing.
Hush darling, Flo'ondia finally spoke, All will turn out well in the end. With the possession of the Lens of Wisdom you are slowly become aware of that which hides in the deeper recesses of your mind which you shut off long ago as a self-mechanism of refuge from that which haunts you most of all. While overcoming the trials of your mind may well prove more difficult than ever you could imagine the strength you will gain from learning to master your fears will prove to be your greatest ally. With your resolute determination none will be able to match your will power.
But as for now, in these toughest of times, remember what you fight for. This is greater than just yourself. You fight for your people, for all of Hyrule, for your father. I am confident, Link, that when trials come that seem too tough too bear, and the pain is to great to ever want to go on, if you could just remember what you fight for there will be nothing you can't over come.
"Y-yes Flo'ondia, thank you." Link said, confused. He didn't know how to feel. All he wanted was to hate himself for his weakness and failures, to curse his very existence and make known how much he loathed who he was. He felt wholly unworthy of being anybody's savior; if only he could concede his destiny to one more deserving. For a split second he pondered failing in this quest of his. He didn't deserve the glory of liberating all of Hyrule from whatever threat it was Flo'ondia so feared. Somehow defeat seemed more fitting to him.
Link! You must listen to me! Flo'ondia urged knowing Link's thoughts, I cannot stress this enough! Remember for whom you fight! Picture them, and never let go! They are the ones you must remain strong for. They are the ones for whom you must be brave. You are their only hope! You cannot fail! For their sake, you cannot fail!
Of course! There he went again! Ready to condemn all of Hyrule simply for the self-satisfaction of knowing he got what he deserved. How revoltingly selfish! No! He would humbly except this task, undeserving as he may be, for them. He stiffened his face, and dammed up the tears refusing to cry. He would be strong.
Very good. May the Goddesses be with you on your journey home.
"Wait! Flo'ondia! Your not leaving are you! Please stay here with me a little longer!"
I have to go, Link. The sun rises; lingering longer is not an option. I wish you good luck and Goddess bless.
"Flo'ondia?!"
But the Oracle was already gone.
-----
Link's eyes fluttered to life as he found himself lying on soft grass first the first time in over a month. The sun was already high in the sky.
"Up finally I see. You know you gave me quite the scare back there."
"Koriki!" Link blurted as he quickly sat up the words of Flo'ondia echoing in his head.
"...can wait. You will take the rest of today off. The earliest we will leave is tomorrow morning."
"But!"
"No 'but's,' That's the way it is and your just going to have to deal with it!"
Link was still very tire and weak from nearly drowning and couldn't bring himself to argue, "Fine, but we leave early!"
"Dawn-break if you'd like, any earlier than that isn't yet morning in my book... Now have a bowl of soup."
Link sat up and grabbed the bowl of soup. Link quickly looked away as tears began to well up in his eyes. He noticed that they were just on the other side of the Gerudo bridge. Withrow must have carried him all that way. After he thought he composed himself, he turned back and cracked a "Thank you."
"Well, I actually made it a couple hours ago not knowing when you'd wake up. It's hardly fresh any more."
A tear trickled down the cheek of the Bearer of Courage, "...Not for the soup."
"Oh," Withrow nodded knowingly with a smile on his face, "well, your very welcome."
- WRAPPER -
Ok! Let's make this clear right now! I am NOT suicidal. So, yeah, don't think that, 'cause it's not true.
Well then, what do you think? Too much? Yeah, I must admit, I'm afraid that may have just been too much. I may well have gotten a little carried away with the angst? I mean, Link did try to kill himself... and he is only 12... Is that believable? Can you see him as a 12 year old. I'm trying to make my way thru Fierce Deity's "The Five" right now, and my one gripe is that I have a difficult time believing the characters are as young as they're supposed to
On the other hand, I like accentuating the fact that Link really isn't up for the task. He's too young and it was just forced upon him.
That's another thing... maybe I'm focusing to much about the "save the world" thing? Considering nobody (including Link himself) really knows what that entails yet.
So basically, gimme your feed back. I dunno, me and my occasionally sadistic taste like the way it turned out. So what do you think. Please do tell.
Y'all have a good day now!
Thag - It wasn't so much that the concept was complicated, just boring. At least the way I presented it. To be honest a philosophical analysis of the "realm of information" isn't really integral to the plot, but I'm trying to make character personalities for distinct.
So then... Is it my understanding that if my head were to be the exact size of Texas than "I've got it made?" 'Cause Texas is pretty big. I'd say a head the size of say... Rhode Island is already pretty freakishly big. I'd prefer to fit thru the average doorway so if Texas is the limit than I think I'm safe.
Oh, yes, and give your friend a big "Kudos and Congratulations!" from me.